Another school year has finished (two months ago), and a new one is about to begin.
Our teachers did a lot to promote growth mindset this last year.
Many of us sent our students a poll with statements from Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset, on the first day of class
and again on the last day of class.
You can see some change in the way that students responded.
I have wondered whether talking about mindset and promoting growth mindset makes a difference in what and how students learn. I know plenty of teachers are skeptical. I’m convinced that it matters.
Many students participated in Jo Boaler’s How to Learn Math: For Students online course through Stanford University. I heard students talking about making mistakes, their brain growing, and synapses firing on many occasions throughout the year.
What has convinced me more than student responses throughout the class, though, are the voluntary reflections that my students have offered. I received a handwritten letter at the beginning of May from a former student who no longer attends our school. An excerpt follows:
“When you taught my geometry class last year you polled us at the beginning and the end of the year to see if our opinions on innate/static intelligence vs. one’s ability to improve intelligence had changed. I just want to say that though I was doubtful at the time, this idea of an evolving and increasing intelligence through questioning and learning through wrong answers has stuck with me and served me well. I was once pretty insecure in my academic abilities: yes, I made good grades without much trouble, but there’s always someone faster or more confident or more eloquent, and so much of my identity was wrapped up in being a ‘smart’ kid that I was often afraid to speak up and make mistakes. Now, though my grades and academic integrity are still very important to me, I don’t see successes and failures quite so black and white. Rather, I try to see it all as a learning moment, and I thank you for introducing me to some of the ideas of growth mindsets and ‘GRIT’.” – CM
This thoughtful reflection a year after the class ended is coupled with a thoughtful reflection from another student who wrote as the class ended last year. You can see his reflection in this post.
We will start another school year on August 6 … our students are going to hear the message not only that they can be successful in mathematics but that we, their teachers, want them to be successful in mathematics … our students are going to be greeted with open-ended problems that are accessible to all (many of which will come from youcubed’s Week of Inspirational Math) – problems that allow them to realize from the beginning that we don’t all think the same way and that making our thinking visible to others is a good and important learning opportunity for all … our students are going to set norms for how the class will learn together throughout the year … our students are going to hear from Carol Dweck on the power of “Yet” and they might even hear from Sesame Street, too.
What message will your students hear on the first day of class? What will they say about your class when asked how they think classes are going to go this year?
I look forward to school starting again, as the journey continues …
Easing the Hurry Syndrome 